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Good and Askren both come into Bellator 33 with perfect records (Photos courtesy of Bellator).

Champion Lyman Good to Defend Crown against Season 2 Winner Ben Askren

Bellator Fighting Championships has a top-notch title fight on tap for its upcoming card in Philadelphia on Thursday, with Bellator Welterweight Champion Lyman Good (10-0) putting his title on the line against Bellator Season 2 Welterweight Tournament winner Ben Askren (6-0). This championship meeting of two undefeated Mixed Martial Artists is the second bout announced for Bellator 33 at The Liacouras Center, joining a previously booked lightweight pairing of Philadelphia native Eddie Alvarez (20-2) against Roger Huerta (21-3).

“Lyman dominated Season #1 and Ben dominated Season #2,” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. “This is a great Welterweight Championship fight between two world-class undefeated welterweights.”

Askren arrives at this title shot after impressing his way through the Season 2 Welterweight Tournament, scoring two victories over Ryan Thomas and a unanimous decision victory of Dan Hornbuckle in the tournament finals. While wrestling at the University of Missouri, the Iowa native advanced to four straight NCAA Championship Matches at 174 pounds, winning national titles in 2006 and 2007. He then went on to wrestle for the United States in the 2008 Olympics and made it to the quarterfinal round before falling to Buvaisar Saitiev of Russia. Askren, who is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, then turned to Mixed Martial Arts and began training with America Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. After winning his first three professional MMA bouts in the first round, he then signed with Bellator to compete in its Season 2 Tournament.

“I’m going into this fight with the same strategy as my previous fights, just a lot more devastating,” Askren said. “I want to submit him and quickly, but if that doesn’t happen, I’m prepared for five rounds. I can go all day long.”

Good is looking to remain undefeated in his first title defense, which is his first match since winning the inaugural Bellator Welterweight Championship via a first round TKO of Omar de la Cruz in June of 2009. Fighting out of Team Tiger Schulmann in Manhattan, New York, Good began his MMA career by competing in the Ring of Combat promotion out of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Before he came on board with Bellator for its first season, the Harlem native inked a deal with Elite XC before the show went bankrupt. Since joining Bellator, Good scored three stoppage wins during the Season 1 Tournament to win the welterweight crown.